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AI processor packs a whopping 1.2 trillion transistors

Cerebras Systems doesn’t mess around when it comes to packing in technology. The AI company has just created a processor containing 1.2 trillion transistors. For reference, a typical server processor only has a few billion ... perhaps tens of billions for the latest and greatest.

According to ExtremeTech:

“The Cerebras WSE contains 400,000 sparse linear algebra cores, 18GB of total on-die memory, 9PB/sec worth of memory bandwidth across the chip, and separate fabric bandwidth of up to 100Pbit/sec. The entire chip is built on TSMC’s 16nm FinFET process. Because the chip is built from (most) of a single wafer, the company has implemented methods of routing around bad cores on-die and can keep its arrays connected even if it has bad cores in a section of the wafer.”

To achieve this high number of transistors necessary for performing AI computations, the chip itself is pretty massive. While most processors can easily fit in the palm of your hand, the Cerebras WSE is the size of a large iPad.

‘Off-Facebook activity’ gives users more control over data

Facebook knows that many people are sensitive about privacy. As a result, it recently launched a feature called Off-Facebook activity that will let users clear their browsing information.

According to CNET:

“The world's largest social media giant collects a trove of information about the 2.4 billion people who log into its site every month, allowing businesses to better target ads at potential customers. The feature, called Off-Facebook activity, will show you a list of apps and websites that share your online activity with the social network. It also gives you the option to disconnect this browsing activity from your Facebook account now and in the future.”

Although this feature exists, it is uncertain if people will actually use it. In order to access Off-Facebook activity, you have to dig through settings for a bit.

But there's more going on in the world than that.

Antarctic snow contains fresh stardust

Scientists sifting through the melted snow from the Antarctic found something they weren’t expecting: stardust. And a "significant amount" of it too.

According to Phys.org:

“Other scientists had previously spotted the same rare isotope of iron in deep-ocean crusts. Called iron-60, it has four more neutrons than Earth's most common form of the element. But the iron-60 in the crust likely settled on the Earth's surface millions of years ago, as opposed to what was found in fresh snow in Antarctica that had accumulated over the past two decades.”

To make things even more interesting, scientists suspect the iron-60 came from beyond the solar system, perhaps from a supernova. However, we don't know the exact source of this recently-arrived stardust.

And you can't not know this.

The Matrix returns for round four

The internet loves Keanu Reeves, and Hollywood thinks we want to see even more of him on the silver screen. This week, we found out there will be a fourth chapter of The Matrix series, complete with Neo and Trinity played by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.

According to Ars Technica:

“Lana Wachowski, who served as co-writer and co-director for all three original trilogy films alongside sibling Lilly, has been confirmed as the sole Wachowski family member (so far) in the writer/director chair. Wachowski will be joined by Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell as co-writers, whose names will likely be familiar to Wachowski fans. Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas was eventually developed into a feature-length film by the Wachowskis, while Mitchell and Hemon co-wrote much of the Wachowski-helmed Netflix series Sense8.”

The internet loves Keanu Reeves, and Hollywood thinks we want to see even more of him on the silver screen. This week, we found out there will be a fourth chapter of The Matrix series, complete with Neo and Trinity played by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.

According to Ars Technica:

“Lana Wachowski, who served as co-writer and co-director for all three original trilogy films alongside sibling Lilly, has been confirmed as the sole Wachowski family member (so far) in the writer/director chair. Wachowski will be joined by Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell as co-writers, whose names will likely be familiar to Wachowski fans. Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas was eventually developed into a feature-length film by the Wachowskis, while Mitchell and Hemon co-wrote much of the Wachowski-helmed Netflix series Sense8.”

Unless they're going to do a prequel (like, a story on Morpheus, Trinity, or even Cypher), I don't see how they can have a 4th Matrix movie. Resetting the Matrix purged the Smith program, the war is over, and Neo is either dead or transcended to being one of the programs that "are doing what they're supposed to" (was a bit open-ended on that one).

An iPad sized chip! Wow, that BIG for any type of a wafer of silicon, and will probably be the starting point for Skynet.

I've never trusted Facebook, don't have a presence, and expect to never have a presence.

'New' stardust, only in the Antarctic? Shouldn't it show up everywhere else too, or are we just not looking?

And finally another Matrix, just shows that film makers are truly out of ideas anymore, can't think of anything new, so just do another in a series, or remake something that was great, or good, or even not so good.

I will be real, am I stoked for a 4th installment of The Matrix? Yes. Do I think it needs one? No. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. On another note, anyone who has seen the Animatrix knows that it's not just about Neo. While he is the main focal point and the "One" for the movies, there are plenty of other epic stories and characters within the Matrix-verse.

Facebook and other big corporations that have been around for as long as they have and are just now starting to be like, "Oh, we didn't know you didn't like that?" have made their money and are only changing their ways because they found something different. In the grand scheme of things...there is no stopping it.

I heard Stardust and immediately thought about 80's glam cartoons.

Lastly, the processor. Epic. Need more be said? I can only imagine what this thing is capable of doing. I bet if you put that into a computer and taught it cognitive thought and reasoning you could create a company that knows what is truly better for the human race as a whole. Then it would implement a plan of action to help us out the best way it can. It would be able to create AI to assist us in this endeavor to! Just think about it.

To achieve this high number of transistors necessary for performing AI computations, the chip itself is pretty massive. While most processors can easily fit in the palm of your hand, the Cerebras WSE is the size of a large iPad.

I wonder if that is just for the processor itself or if it includes the pins?

1.2 trillion transistors - better watch those betas!!! 100X the transistors in today's processors means it could be 100X the variance in speeds due to the internal beta (resistance) of each transistor.

I will be real, am I stoked for a 4th installment of The Matrix? Yes. Do I think it needs one? No. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. On another note, anyone who has seen the Animatrix knows that it's not just about Neo. While he is the main focal point and the "One" for the movies, there are plenty of other epic stories and characters within the Matrix-verse.

Facebook and other big corporations that have been around for as long as they have and are just now starting to be like, "Oh, we didn't know you didn't like that?" have made their money and are only changing their ways because they found something different. In the grand scheme of things...there is no stopping it.

I heard Stardust and immediately thought about 80's glam cartoons.

Lastly, the processor. Epic. Need more be said? I can only imagine what this thing is capable of doing. I bet if you put that into a computer and taught it cognitive thought and reasoning you could create a company that knows what is truly better for the human race as a whole. Then it would implement a plan of action to help us out the best way it can. It would be able to create AI to assist us in this endeavor to! Just think about it.